CPSM vs DMAY: which one stands where?

As of Oct 1, 2026 DMAY can fall 8.2% before its buffer engages and CPSM 2.1%, and CPSM resets 21 days sooner. Calamos S&P 500 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - May and FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - May.

CPSMFull floor
Full floorCPSM: reference +5.8% since period start, fund +1.9%; buffer −0 to floor; cap +6.5%; Full floor.full floor beneathfull floor−0.2% buffer start0% period start+6.5% capTODAY · SPY +5.8%Full floorCPSM: reference +5.8% since period start, fund +1.9%; buffer −0 to floor; cap +6.5%; Full floor.full floor beneathfull floor−0.2% buffer start0% start+6.5% capTODAY · SPY +5.8%

CPSM: reference +5.8% since period start, fund +1.9%; buffer −0 to floor; cap +6.5%; Full floor.

DMAYBetween buffer and cap
Between buffer and capDMAY: reference +3.1% since period start, fund +2.6%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.6%; Between buffer and cap.25 pts of buffer−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+13.6% capTODAY · SPY +3.1%Between buffer and capDMAY: reference +3.1% since period start, fund +2.6%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.6%; Between buffer and cap.25 pts−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+13.6% capTODAY · SPY +3.1%

DMAY: reference +3.1% since period start, fund +2.6%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.6%; Between buffer and cap.

These are two different products. CPSM is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. DMAY is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.

Where each one stands today

CPSM resets first, on May 1, 2027, 212 days from now; DMAY runs to May 21, 2027, 233 days. A fall from here reaches CPSM’s buffer after 2.1% and DMAY’s after 8.2%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Every figure is ETFIQ’s own, from the issuer’s published outcome-period terms. A buffer ETF holds FLEX options on its reference index rather than shares, so there is no holdings overlap between two of them to report.

Performance, window by window

Total returnGap to the reference
WindowCPSMDMAYCPSMDMAY
3 months+1.2%+1.8%−1.4 pts−0.7 pts
6 months+2.4%+6.2%−14.6 pts−10.8 pts
1 year+4.6%+8.2%−11.1 pts−7.5 pts
3 yearsnot published+41.5%not published−43.4 pts

CPSM and DMAY over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ. Open the live comparison on ETFIQ →

On the same fields

CPSM
Calamos S&P 500 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - May · Absorbs losses from 0.2% to 100.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 6.5%, over a period ending May 1, 2027
DMAY
FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - May · Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 30.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 13.6%, over a period ending May 21, 2027
Issuer Calamos First Trust
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 0% to 100% 5% to 30%
Outcome period May 1, 2026 to May 1, 2027 May 18, 2026 to May 21, 2027
Days left 212 233
Starting cap +6.5% +13.6%
Can still gain not published 9.9%
Fall before buffer 2.1% 8.2%
Protection left, index points 99.8% of 99.8% 25.0% of 25.0%
Index return this period +5.8% +3.1%
Fund return this period +1.9% +2.6%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.69% 0.85%
Net assets $59m $383m

CPSM and DMAY on the same fields, as of Oct 1, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

CPSM in plain words

The fund's price can fall 2.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 5.7% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 99.8% of the 99.8% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 212 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On May 1, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

DMAY in plain words

From its price on Oct 1, 2026, the fund can gain about 9.9% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 8.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 7.9% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 25.0% of the 25.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 233 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On May 21, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, CPSM or DMAY?
CPSM ends its outcome period on May 1, 2027 and DMAY on May 21, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, CPSM or DMAY?
CPSM charges 0.69% a year and DMAY charges 0.85%, so CPSM is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Cite this page

ETFIQ, CPSM against DMAY, data as of Oct 1, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpsm-vs-dmay

Open data

Free to use with attribution. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology.